As the spring of the
year draws near, students begin to think about their graduation OR continuing
their education. As most of our students at GMC-Online are pursuing an
associate's degree, we know that many of them are starting to think about their
four year degrees once they finish here at GMC. It would not be illogical to
assume that many of those students are thinking about continuing to pursue
their education online. The question then becomes: "Where should I
go if I want to pursue my bachelor's degree online?"
This is not a simple
question to answer for the online student. First, choosing the right
online college depends on a number of things, particularly what degree program
is desired. While many universities offer all of their degree programs in a
face-to-face format, they do not offer ALL of them online. Secondly, it is
important to make sure that the online college and program chosen are
accredited. Accreditation is not only important for quality of education, but
it is also important for financial aid. Colleges and universities that are
unaccredited are not eligible for federal financial aid. Thirdly, when choosing
a college or university to attend online, students should consult credible,
outside sources that evaluate those colleges and universities, particularly
paying attention to rankings of their online programs.
Specifically to address
that last point, US News and World Report, publishes college and
university rankings each year. In fact, they are well-known for their rankings.
They also rank colleges and universities for their online programs, and
the following link is a report on those for 2016. Take a look at their
findings.
The point is that as you
choose your next destination, if it is an online program, you should look for
not only accredited schools, but also programs that are sound and have programs
that fit your needs.
Dean Jeffery Wells
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